Notes on Revelation 19

Chapters 18-20 depict a final judgment scene, where the wicked world is destroyed, conquered, and eternally judged. Chapter 19 stands in the middle of this scene, and depicts Christ crushing the enemies of God's people with ease, and rescuing them from their oppressors. This is the scene where the true knight rides in on His white horse and saves the captive maiden from the dragon. He then marries her and she lives happily ever after as co-ruler of the kingdom.

Lest John should discourage his readers in thinking that there will only be few that are saved, he depicts those who are saved as a massive group that are so numerous their voices sound like a deluge and loud crashes of thunder together (i.e., like a loud storm). By this, he assures his readers that those who are saved are numerous, as he has depicted before, and are a large nation made out of every nation, language, and people group. However, as is stated in v. 9, is only those who are invited to the wedding feast who are blessed, i.e., saved.

Notice, yet again, that the wicked world does not bring about sadness in the saints but rejoicing. Their oppressors' fortresses have been destroyed. 

The clothing of the saints is said to be their righteous works. The word "works" is not explicit in the text. However, the word here is τὰ δικαιώματα in the neuter, and given the purpose of the book that is consistent throughout, the author likely means for the reader to assume the word ἔργα "works." It is also important to point out that this is not talking about the imputed righteousness of Christ. For one, the entire book is about Christians living in obedience to Christ over the pressures of the world upon them to compromise in their theology and works, and for another, the terminology is that the clothing represents "the righteous things" of the saints. It is plural, as argued before, modifying an implicit
ἔργα "works," not a singular δικαιοσύνη "righteousness." Nor does it say that these are the righteous works belonging to Christ, but rather the righteous works belonging to the saints. Of course, in larger biblical theology, this is understood as an extension of Christ's work through His saints, but the Apocalypse is emphasizing what these Christians have done in their life, not the imputed righteousness of Christ. What this means is that every good work, every act of faithfulness, these saints have done is a thread that is now sewn into a beautiful white wedding gown, preparing them for the eternal kingdom of Christ as their eternal King.

The wedding imagery itself comes from John's Gospel. Although here, it is not only the occassion of salvation for the elect, but the event in which the wicked world is judged. It is possible to see the four liturgical elements in John's Gospel in Revelation as well (water, wine, wedding, and Word), but with the double-edged purpose of both salvation for God's people and judgment upon the wicked. Of course, temple imagery dominates the book (tabernacle, temple, lampstands, priestly clothing, fire, bowls, incense, etc.), but it may be that the book is bringing it all together in the same way that the author brings together the Law and Prophets with the Gospel. In any case, Christ's return is pictured as a groom coming for His bride, and wedding is sure to take place soon after.

What this means is that the entirety of the believer's life is a betrothal period in which the bride pledges her faithfulness to the groom. John may be implying this, and the law concerning the unfaithful betrothed, with his imagery. The faithful betrothed will get married and live with the groom as his wife. The unfaithful betrothed will be found out on the wedding night, or before, and be executed in judgment of her unfaithfulness. Only the faithful believer with white clothes will be married and live in Christ's inheritance. The chaste/faithful woman in white clothes is in contrast to the top whore that charactrizes Rome.

It is likely that the reason why the episode where John throws himself down at the angel's feet to worship him, and is subsequently rebuked, exists in the text is to create an understanding of how much participating in the imperial cult and Roman paganism is an abomination to God. If one is not even to worship a holy angel of God, how much less an ambassador of the devil? 

 The many diadems on Christ's head mimic those of the beast, but as in the rest of the book, the beast is the counterfeit emperor. The true King of Kings, i.e., Emperor, is Christ. Hence, He comes to take His throne away from the usurper.

As earlier in the book, the white horse symbolizes conquest. Christ and His people have now come to conquerer the dominion of the beast and his armies, and take it from them once and for all.

In the same way that his people's clothing is made up of their works, His clothing if made up of His. It is dipped in His blood. Likewise, as names have played a powerful role in identifying one throughout, He holds a name that is exclusive to Himself as God the Son, as well as the name of an Emperor (King of kings and Lord of lords). It is possible that John means to display the dual natures of Christ, as he does throughout his writings--the divine represented by the exclusive name that only He knows and has, and the human represented by what He obtained through His work on earth (i.e., the inheritance of Lordship).

The feast of the wedding banquet will be the carcasses of the wicked, and the birds will feast upon them. This again displays the idea that salvation for Christ's people is one and the same event with the destruction of the wicked.

The beast and false prophet (perhaps, the man of lawlessness and antichrist in other New Testament literature) are thrown alive into the lake of fire. The rest of the people are physically slaughtered by the judgment of Christ represented by the sword. From here, the judgment of God will be rendered.